The Clatsop County Clerk and Elections Office reminds local residents that Tuesday, April 28 is the deadline to register to vote in the May 19 special district election.Ballots for the election will be mailed out beginning Wednesday, April 29.

Jeff Rusiecki, Emergency Communications Manager City of Astoria 911 shared this with KAST news so we are passing it along.

The second full week in April is designated as National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week. In appreciation for all that the Dispatchers in this county do for the public I would like to share a Tribute to Dispatchers as penned by Chief Wagoner, Loveland Colorado PD. I would also like to personally thank each of you for the job you do day in and day out, every day. You all are an amazing and talented group!

Spring Chinook anglers on the lower Columbia River will get two more days of salmon fishing –Saturday, April 11 and Thursday, April 16 -- under a season extension adopted today by Oregon and Washington fishery managers.

Astoria Regional Dispatch Center received a call from a boater in the Columbia River, west of the Meglar Bridge, reporting they had located a deceased person. The Clatsop County Sheriff's office Marine Patrol, accompanied by an Astoria Police Officer responded in a boat to recover the deceased. The deceased was recovered and transported to shore where, after consultation with the Medical Examiner's office it was released to the funeral home. On April 8, 2015 the Clatsop County District Medical Examiner examined the decedent and positively identified him as Jared Knutson, age 20 . Knutson has been a missing person since he was last seen in the area of the New Young's Bay Bridge on the evening of February 27, 2015. The Clatsop County District Medical Examiner in consultation with the Oregon State Medical Examiner' Office determined that an autopsy will not be performed. The manner of death is undetermined and the cause of death is drowning.

Officials from the United States Coast Guard along with the contractors, and city officials were on hand Monday afternoon to perform the ground-breaking for an expansion project to add more Coast Guard housing units adjacent to the existing housing on Astoria's south slope.

(From left to right) Capt. Daniel Travers, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, Capt. John Healy, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Design and Construction Center in Norfolk, Va., Arline LeMear, the mayor of the City of Astoria, Lt. Cmdr. Christiane Weber, Coast Guard project manager, Robert Wilkins and Gabe Duus of Integrity Structures out of Vancouver, Wash., Tony Ewing of Columbia River Excavations as well as Mike Gabe, also from Integrity Structures, prepare to break ground on a housing expansion project at Coast Guard housing in Astoria, Ore., April 6, 2015

Well now they've done it. As long as the thousands of Sea Lions that have been pouring into Astoria were just destroying Port mooring docks it was okay. In fact a few have suggested the town should welcome the massive influx and turn the whole thing into a tourist attraction. But there is a new development in this story that makes the situation far more like an invasion and far less like something that could join the goonies house as a tourist destination. MORE HERE

Astoria's unintended Sea lion sanctuary is begining to expand to include the city River Walk Trail. Astoria city councilor Zetty Nemlowill posted a picture of a Stellar Sea Lion that had taken up residence right in the middle of the trail along with a warnng note that the animals can be aggressive and to stay clear.

Astoria Police are searching for Anthony Victor Lane, a 30 year old St. Helens man, in conjunction with the gunpoint robbery in the 300 block of Alameda on April 3rd. Lane was identified as a suspect as a result of many sources of information developed during the investigation.

Astoria Police received a report of a shooting in the 300 block of Alameda. Officers responded with Astoria Fire and Medix Ambulance. Responding officers arrived and found two male subjects with head injuries and another that was affected by a chemical spray that was discharged in the house at the time of the assaults. Officers learned that at least two suspects entered the house and assaulted the occupants of the house at gunpoint. They struck two victims with firearms and batons causing significant injuries and taking items from the home. The suspects left in gold GMC Jimmy with pink decals. Astoria Police transported three victims to CMH for treatment.